AFL legend Mick Malthouse “WHY EVEN LET SHEILAS ON THE PITCH? “If they were fair dinkum, they’d bloody well penalise ‘im!
AFL makes call on punishment for Nick Daicos after Collingwood legend called for sanction
A number of stars were fined for ‘staging’ from the weekend, but the Magpies ace was not on the list.
The AFL has opted not to fine Nick Daicos for his incident with Reuben Ginbey even though former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse and Kane Cornes called for action. This comes as the code fined a number of stars in their attempt to crack down on staging.
West Coast fans were left fuming on the weekend during the Magpies’ 10-point win after Daicos was accused of ‘flopping’ when Ginbey gave him a nudge after a free-kick. The game was in the balance in the third quarter when Daicos appeared to push the West Coast defender to impede him from stopping a goal.
The Eagles were awarded a free kick right in front of their goal, before Reuben Ginbey went up and gave Daicos a nudge. Daicos went down easily and the umpires overturned the free kick and gave the Collingwood star a shot at goal right in front for his second of the night. But the manner in which Daicos went down didn’t sit well with everyone
“The AFL will sit here and go, ‘all these free kicks were justified, the umpires were reviewed on Monday, and they’ll go, yep, there was an arm there, or there was an off-the-ball there, and that was the right free kick to pay’. But when did our game become so soft? I’m seeing more diving…
“I don’t think with Daicos, the overturned one on Ginbey, is a free kick. If we sat down and designed our game and said what should be a free kick and what shouldn’t be, that’s not a free kick. Just to brush past him and Daicos flop and hit the ground and that to be an overturned free kick, goal against at a pivotal moment. That’s not the way that we designed the game to be drawn up.”
Despite the calls, Daicos avoided a fine for the incident with Ginbey with the AFL backing the umpire and deeming he was unfairly knocked down. However, Brisbane Lions player Cam Rayner was hit with a $1000 fine from the AFL on Monday after he ‘staged’ for a free kick against GWS on Sunday
Josh Rachele of the Adelaide Crows copped a $1000 fine for a staging incident against Hawthorn on Thursday night. Daicos escaping a fine after the backlash isn’t going to do anything for rival fans to stop the frustration around the incident.
AFL flop fury: Why $1000 fines aren’t stopping players staging for frees
Brisbane premiership player Cam Rayner produced the third incident this week of AFL stars staging for free kicks, and he should be subject to scrutiny from the Match Review Officer (MRO) because of it.
Rayner joined Adelaide’s Josh Rachele and Collingwood’s Nick Daicos in playing for free kicks, with umpires somehow obliging the trio.
On Thursday, Rachele flopped forward after receiving contact from Hawthorn captain James Sicily. He was offered a $1500 fine, and can accept $1000 charge.
Daicos, after giving away a free kick for blocking the goal line, was rewarded a shot on goal after Eagles defender Reuben Ginbey bumped him. The umpire was fooled and gifted Collingwood six points.
The Pies son-of-a-gun didn’t receive any scrutiny from the MRO, which is baffling.
Daicos, given his elite IQ and footy smarts, would’ve known how to draw a free kick in this instance. He did.
Rayner, who can expect the same level of scrutiny as Rachele, ‘earned’ himself a free kick in a ruck contest.
The moment Giant Jake Riccardi made contact, the Lions gun fell to water.
It received a wry laugh from GWS coach Adam Kingsley, who couldn’t believe it. Most can’t. Another six points were awarded for the flopping.
And it’s not the first time Rayner has acted in a similar vein. Last year’s qualifying final against Geelong, the forward-midfielder made sure the umpire blew his whistle when he got tangled up with Mark O’Connor, turning a Cats shot on goal into a major for the Lions.
Getting in the face of Geelong defenders, Rayner received another free-kick on the stroke of half-time which should have been ignored. He instigated the situation. But as always, the retaliator was punished.
Daicos too leans into the opposition’s distaste for him, admittedly because he’s a star. But even some stars attempt to draw free kicks, however the umpires seemingly favour those who poll more votes in the Brownlow than those metaphorically warming the bench.
Staging brings the game into disrepute. Not only is it occurring, but the stars of the competition – the players whose numbers adorn the guernseys of children – are some of the main perpetrators.
Unchecked flopping at the senior level will, and does, translate to juniors footballers exhibiting the same behaviours.
Last year, there were six incidents where staging drew the meagre financial sanction that is currently the norm. Through Round 11 this year, the AFL has seen three after Rachele’s indiscretion, with Rayner odds-on to become the fourth after Sunday’s distasteful moment.
Calls have been made for a much dearer punishment than the measly $1000 fine.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir last year asked if a $10,000 fee would be enough for players to stop staging, while Nathan Buckley called for one-week suspensions.